The immense production of fantasy in literature sails hand in hand with that of the world of video games, which since the days of the prehistoric Akalabeth, a seminal dungeon crawler from nearly half a century ago, has drawn from the fantasy imagination to recreate worlds to explore, dungeons to clear, and heroes to idolize.
The history of video games teaches us that blending two or more genres, mixing their key elements to create something new, has always involved two possible paths: success or obscurity.
In the middle, however, every now and then a particularly worthwhile title emerges, considered niche and at the same time a must for any collection: Alisia Dragoon, released in 1992 and perhaps imported rather late outside the Japanese borders, is probably the emblem of this category.
Accompanied by a soundtrack with vaguely epic undertones and contrasts that recreate atmospheres that are almost melancholic in certain passages (all thanks also to the name of Mariko Sato among the composers, an incredible pillar of Eastern music), the protagonist Alisia embarks on a difficult and potentially deadly mission: saving the world from the return of a being as cruel as it is invincible.
La European version, distributed for SEGA Mega Drive, tells the backstory of this millennia-old war with inspired art books and the good old game manual, now a relic in our day when everything is digital and on screen, but when many years ago I dug through specialized retrogame forums I discovered, to my great surprise, that the game’s original lore was much more complex, with plots and subplots steeped in a searing sense of revenge to be consumed in Kill Bill style, but set in a fantasy context; all things that were removed during the export of Alisia Dragoon beyond Japanese borders.
The why? Probably it’s just one of many unresolved mysteries; the fact remains that the game still holds together and does so with magnificent graphics, complete with 2.5D tricks designed to simulate depth and perspective effects, all supported by level design that will surely bring tears of joy to all George Martin readers, and not only them.
Echos of the Shannara saga and more or less veiled references to great classics such as Under the Moons of Mars and the inevitable series of tomes of Tolkien-inspired origin will make you jump out of your seat, just like a newly born dragon!
Caratteristic features of Alisia Dragoon, at the gameplay level, are ultimately two: the first, and the one that stands out immediately, is the presence of familiars that will support us during our adventure, helping us in combat or giving us a hand in general.
The nice thing is that these are not end-in-themselves NPCs, nor aesthetic embellishments to fill the level; quite the opposite. They will play a considerable active role in the game, and if we also consider that Alisia has only one type of attack available, apart from the spectacular draconic summons, we can understand just how important these small but very useful adventure companions are.
La second important feature is that the game allows us to customize, even if only to a small extent, Alisia’s magical arsenal and her moves, with a power-up system comparable to the experience-based leveling typical of role-playing games in the genre, and it is precisely this type of component that elevates the game above the mass of side-scrolling RPGs.
Certo, most of the time we will spend jumping here and there trying not to die too easily; however, the beauty of the levels and the desire to know how Alisia's search will end are sufficient reasons to don armor, sword, and joypad to help the indomitable warrior.
A first-rate in graphics and sound, what you’d call a must for every collector
The management, even if minimal, of familiars and their powers adds a touch of planning
Reassessed over time, it is one of the few valid side-scrolling RPG examples
The legendary plot could have been handled better given the premise, perhaps with some cutscenes between levels
Like all respectable arcade games, it has a steep learning curve, which for some may be an obstacle
